Merle Dixon
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Merle Dixon |
| Occupation: | Former drug dealer |
| Relationships: | Daryl Dixon (brother) |
| Fandom: | The Walking Dead (TV Series) |
| Other: | played by Michael Rooker I can't go back by GakiRules (2013) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Merle Dixon is character on AMC's horror-drama series The Walking Dead, portrayed by Michael Rooker. He does not appear in The Walking Dead comics.
The strength of his character shows in his love for his brother ... So, he’s human, and the flaws we see in Merle are ones that we’re likely to encounter, even without the zombie apocalypse.[1]
Canon
At the beginning of the series Merle is high and shooting walkers from a rooftop drawing attention to their group's location. Rick handcuffs him to a pipe, and the group leaves him there. When the group returns with his brother Daryl they discover he cut his hand off in order to escape, and disappeared. In Season 3 he returns as The Governor's lieutenant, when he is tracking Michonne he runs into Glenn and Maggie capturing them. He beats Glenn to get him to reveal the location of their camp. After Rick's group attacks The Governor blames Merle and pits him against his brother. With help Merle and Daryl escape, at first they go off on their own, but eventually return to the Prison. Rick considers turning Michonne over to The Governor in order to broker a peace, Merle believes Rick won't be able to follow through and kidnaps Michonne. On the way to the meeting place Michonne and Merle talk and Merle lets her go. Merle ambushes The Governor's group, but his plan ultimately fails and The Governor kills him.
Fandom
Pairings
- Daryl Dixon/Merle Dixon - most popular pairing
- Merle Dixon/Andrea Harrison
- Merle Dixon/Beth Greene
- Merle Dixon/Carol Peletier
- Shane Walsh/Merle Dixon
- Merle/Original Female Character - most popular het pairing
Statistics
- In 2017 Merle Dixon was the 9th most popular Walking Dead character on Archive of Our Own[2]
Common Tropes in Fanworks
- Pastfic: concentrating on Merle's childhood and youth
- Missing Scenes: exploring what took place between Season 1, when he is separated from the group, and Season 3
- Abuse: focusing on the abuse he experienced from his father, and his treatment of Daryl
- Addiction: addressing Merle's drug abuse
- No Zombie Apocalypse AU: Modern setting where no Zombie Apocalypse occurs
- Merle lives: Merle does not die at the hands of The Governor
- Supporting character: Merle is often a secondary character in stories focusing on his brother Daryl
Fanworks
Fan Art
- Merle Dixon: Walking Dead by ted1air
- Merle Dixon by AmandaTolleson
- Merle Dixon by wafspr
- Merle Dixon by FrankAKadar
- Merle by LandonLArmstrong
- The Walking Dead- This Sorrowful Life by Kelii
Fanfiction
- Reasurrance by TheSparrow93
- Sick and tired of legends untold (give me a happy ending goddammit) by The_Readers_Muse
- Scars by Noxid Anamchara
- If Hindsight Were Foresight by jazznsmoke
Fan Vids
- What I've Become by xHeather360x
- R.I.P Merle Dixon by Jackson Hill
- The Black Sheep by NothingButBlade
- Sail by zurime